


Christmas in the Desert

by misfitlove



Category: Queens of the Stone Age
Genre: Christmas Fluff, M/M, Multi, because welcome to 2019 babey, everyone is poly and queer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-09-27 16:54:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17165732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misfitlove/pseuds/misfitlove
Summary: The lads celebrate Christmas at Josh's house. Lots of fluff and too much booze for Mikey.





	Christmas in the Desert

**Author's Note:**

> I know Christmas was like, three weeks ago, but sometimes a person is late to posting, okay

The end of Christmas had finally come, the hot desert sun now long gone beneath the horizon. The cool air nipped at Mikey’s face as he sat on the back patio of Josh’s house, and he was more than happy for it. He was shitfaced and his body had began to feel uncomfortably warm. Still though, he only wanted another drink as he crushed the cigarette butt beneath his boot.

Mikey caught himself as he stumbled back inside, unable to stop a small giggle as he swayed in place before regaining his balance. He made a straight line for the kitchen for another glass of whatever he could get his hands on before returning to the living room. Josh was currently telling a bizarre experience that occurred somewhere in Europe back in the early days of the band, probably right after Troy had joined.

“This just sounds like, “I’m not saying it was aliens, but”,” Jon teased between a fit of drunk giggles.

“But! It very well could have been!” Josh exclaimed. His attention turned to Mikey as he sat beside Jon. “Mike, _please_. You believe me, right?”

“I think you’re full of shit, man,” Mikey laughed.

“I don’t know why I keep inviting you guys over,” Josh said with an overly dramatic sigh. “No one in this family loves me…”

“I believe you, you big baby,” Troy said, gently shoving Josh by the shoulder. “It sounds like total horseshit, but, still.”

“Thanks, babe.”

Mikey smiled as Troy leaned up and over to kiss Josh on the cheek. He knocked back the rest of his drink, deciding it was probably for the best to sleep. Once again he stumbled and Jon was quick to catch him, saying that he’ll walk with Mikey to the his room before going to bed himself.

“Wait,” Mikey said, releasing himself from Jon’s gentle hold. He went to Josh and kissed him goodnight, and repeated this with Troy. “Love y’all.”

He could hear Josh’s exasperated sigh before mumbling something, followed by Troy reassuring him that maybe he really did see aliens that one night. Mikey giggled as he turned down the hallway with Jon, who also was fighting back a laugh.

When they reached the room Mikey had been staying in, there was a sadness that unexpectedly snuck up on him. It was almost sobering. He hated it.

Jon took notice and gave the younger man a small smile, pushing back locks of hair that had been fallen loose. “I know that look,” he said. He gave Mikey a kiss on the forehead before opening the door. “He’ll be here tomorrow.”

“I know.” He sighed, leaning back to rest against the doorframe. “I miss him though.”

“Go rest your pretty drunk head, sweet thing.”

Mikey smiled dopily as a blush settled on his cheeks. Or maybe the liquor was still making him warm. He gave Jon a kiss goodnight and set off to get ready for bed.

—

“I love missing Christmas because I’m stuck at an airport,” Dean said, rubbing his eyes. If it was somehow possible, the heavy lids seemed even darker. “Sorry again.”

Josh waved his hand in a dismissive manner. “Don’t worry about it, Dino. You can’t control the weather. ‘Sides, we’re just happy you got here in one piece.”

“Yeah, me too,” Dean chuckled.

With the help of Troy, the three unloaded Dean’s bags into the living room. Dean was more than happy to feel the desert warmth on his skin. He loved Detroit but the cold weather was starting to get to him, so he was more than happy to descend on Josh’s house for a couple weeks. And, if it meant he could be with his four favorite idiots, he was more than happy to be here.

Once his own presents had been added to the Christmas tree, Dean asked where Mikey was. The answer made him laugh and he set off for the bedroom.

He gave the door a gentle knock and could faintly hear the shifting of bedsheets, followed by a groggy “come in”. They really weren’t joking when they said Mikey fighting a losing battle against a hangover.

Dean slipped into the room and shrugged off his jacket, dropping it at the foot of the bed. He grinned as he looked over Mikey all tangled in the sheets. Poor boy.

“Michael,” he said as he sat on the edge of the mattress.

The younger man grumbled something incomprehensible, turning his back and burying his face in the pillow. Dean rolled his eyes but opted to lay down anyway. He pressed a kiss behind Mikey’s ear as he pressed their bodies together, wrapping an arm comfortably around his waist.

“Mikey, baby.” His voice was gentler, not exactly wanting to worsen his boyfriend’s headache.

“I’m going to _die_ , Dean.”

“You’re a grown man. A hangover isn’t going to end your life.”

Mikey groaned, turning over and ducking his head down so he could bury his face in Dean’s chest. “You don’t know that.”

“I’ve seen you cling onto a toilet bowl like a shy toddler clings to its mother’s leg. At least you made it to bed this time. You’re going to be fine.”

“Hmph. Well, when I die, it’ll be your fault.”

“My fault?”

“You didn’t take my ailment seriously enough and left me to die. Alone. And on _Christmas_.”

“It’s the twenty-sixth of December, you dramatic little bitch. You don’t even celebrate Christmas.”

“...Shut up,” Mikey grumbled.

Dean laughed as he rubbed Mikey’s back. They laid like that for a while, to the point where Dean could feel himself start to drift off to sleep. He was exhausted and it’s not like anyone would complain if he took a nap after the airport fiasco he just went through.

But he wanted to finish off his missed Christmas experience first, and if that meant dragging a hungover Michael Shuman to the living room, then dammit, he’d do it.

It proved to be… slightly easier than he anticipated, although Mikey moved at the pace of a snail to get out of bed. Dean considered helping Mikey get ready, but decided otherwise after fighting off a desperate attempt for a kiss.

“Absolutely not. You have hungover morning breath.”

“ _Deeeean_.”

“ _No_.”

—

When Mikey had finally stumbled out to the living room, the other four men applauded his arrival. He rolled his eyes and flipped them off, muttering a “fuck all of y’all”. He dropped down between Jon and Troy, the former offering him a cup of coffee.

Mikey accepted it and held the cup in his sleeve covered hands, savoring the warmth of every sip. He brought his feet up to the couch and curled up so he could comfortably watch Josh eagerly hand Dean his gifts from their spot on the floor. Dean seemed overwhelmed, waving off the many attempts of Josh shoving presents into his lap and trying to convince him to let the others to open theirs first.

“ _Please_ ,” Josh basically whined. He flashed his pretty blue eyes at Dean, holding out a neatly wrapped rectangle with a bow.

Dean sighed, but relented. Taking the present in his hands, he took a moment to examine it before taking the bow off, sticking it to Josh’s forehead, and carefully tearing at the paper. He dark eyes lit up as he smiled widely. It was a book about, from what Mikey could tell, the history of hockey in Michigan. Josh was rewarded with a kiss, which is he more than happily accepted.

The book was followed by the lower jawbone of a deer from Troy and an incredibly warm looking red flannel from Jon. Dean immediately pulled the flannel on as he picked up Mikey’s gift, which was simply a framed photo of the two of them back when they joined the band. It elicited a hearty laugh from him.

“You look like a grease mop,” he said.

“Thanks,” Mikey replied, rolling his eyes with a chuckle.

The gifts from Dean were just as nice. A much needed new wallet for Josh that was made from a deep brown leather, an assortment of silky purple and black ties for Troy, a crystal sar system ball for Jon, and a new pair of black boots for Mikey.

“Congrats on your _three_ new pairs of boots,” said Troy, examining the pair from Dean. “I think these might be the same ones I got you.”

“Y’all could of found a nicer way of telling me my current ones are falling apart,” Mikey said with a huff. He caught Troy’s narrowed eyes and smiled sheepishly. “I appreciate them!”

Troy shook his head but couldn’t hide his smile. 

—

With the presents all unwrapped and a small semi-feast consumed, the guys found themselves spread across the couch with a Christmas movie playing. Mikey was sprawled out across the many pairs of legs, head resting comfortably in Dean’s lap. Dean lazily played with his hair, not entirely paying attention to the movie as he was close to falling asleep any minute.

Mikey had actually passed out fairly quick, probably still suffering from his hangover. Only Josh and Jon seemed to be watching the movie. When Dean looked over at Troy, he saw the guitarist was also asleep, tucked up beneath Josh’s arm and against his side. Jon was on the other side of Josh and was in a position similar to Troy, only more slouched.

Dean still felt a little upset that he couldn’t have been here properly for Christmas, but he supposed now it didn’t matter.


End file.
